Alarm-box.



c. A. MAHLA.

A LARM BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. 1915.

1,218,198. Patented Mar. 6,1917.-

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C. A. MAHLA.

ALARM BOX.

APPLICATION FILED APR.15. ISIS.

1 ,21 8, 1 98. Patented Mar. 6, 1917. I

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CHARLES A. MAHLA, or eraser c r sg ew JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO PARK e. HAMMAR, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

ALARM-Box.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

To all whom it may concern: I 7

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. MAHLA, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Jersey City, in the county of Hud-p son and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alarm-Boxes, of which the following is a specification. 7

My invention relates to alarm boxes or safes and more particularly to receptacles for valuables, in which an alarm device is so arranged that when the receptacle is moved from or shifted upon its support an alarm will be automatically set into operation to defeat any attempt to tamper with the receptacle or to carry it away. Such a device is shown and described in my copending application, filed on the 27th day of November, 1914, and serially numbered 874,150.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of such devices, and more particularly to provide means whereby the operation of closing the cover of the receptacle will automatically set the alarm device into operative condition. By

this I do not mean that the closing of thecover will set off the alarm, but set it in condition wherebymovement of the box will set off the alarm. Heretofore the alarm device was set into operative condition by moving a lever previous to the closing of the cover. Where the present invention is used there is no possibility of the user forgetting to set the alarm, because the mere operation of closing the cover automatically sets it,

so that no attention need be paid to it.

Another advantage of this arrangement is that there is less likelihood of displacing the box and unintentionally setting off the alarm While the cover is being closed.

Furthermore, the present arrangement may also serve to throw 01f the alarm automatically with the opening of the, cover, so

that the alarm will not be unintentionally set off by the user after opening the box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a very simple device for performing the functions above mentioned.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for preventing the resetting of the alarm and thereby stopping it, by any exterior manipulation.

In the drawings forming part of this application,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the box with the cover open, showing m'yinvention in the preferred form, V

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, with part of the casing broken away to show the working parts on line 22 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken on the line 3.3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4. is an enlarged plan view of the devicde for closing the circuit to give the alarm, an

Fig. 5 is an elevation thereof, with parts broken away to show the interior parts.

The device consists primarily of a box and this term is used broadly to mean any receptacle susceptible of being moved in relation to a support. 1 i

- Herein I have illustrated a box such as might be used for holding jewelry or other valuables on a table, or bureau, and it comprises a bottom 1, sides 2, 3 and ends 4, 5. The box is adapted to be closed by a cover 6 hinged to the box at 7.

The device forgiving-the alarm is herein shown as an electric hell 8 which is shown attached to the bottom of the box by screws 9 passing through the bell base 10. The bell may be of ordinary construction and arrangement and a detailed description thereof is unnecessary to an understanding of the present invention.

There is a battery 11 arranged upon the bottom, where it is held by the bracket 12 and by a clip 13, the latter touching the metal jacket of the battery. One pole 14 of the battery makes contact with a strap 15 on the binding post 16 of the'bell and the other side of the circuit runs throughthe' clip 13 and the box to the circuit controlling device.

The circuit controlling device is as follows: There is a block 17 mounted upon the bottom 1 and it has an aperture or socket 18 in which a ball 19 is contained, the socket There is a movable block 23 which is guided upon the post 2 1 which latter passes therethrough and is screwed into the stationary blockj There is a spring 25 surrounding the upper part of the post 24 and arranged in a socket 26. This spring is com pressed between the head 27 of the post and between the block 23 and it serves to force the latter downwardly, toward the plane of the ball.

The movable block has an extended arm 28 arranged over the ball, and one end of a coiled spring 29 is fixed thereto. The lower and free end of this spring has a rounded tip 30 which engages the ball and which may easily roll off the center thereof when the ball turns.

The block carries an arm which is adapted to make contact with the strap 32 on the binding post 33 when the block is down, and which breaks contact therewith when the block is held up. Thus if the block 23 is down and the members 31 and 32 are in contact, there will be a current from the pole of the battery to the strap 15, thence around the bell coils, through the strap 32, the arm 31, blocks 17, 23, and the box bottom 1 to the clip, 13, and thus back to the jacket of the battery. If the block 23 is raised the circuit will be broken at the arm 31.

WVhen the box is placed upon a table or other support 22, the ball will project through the aperture 21 in the bottom of the box and it will rest on the table and it will be held in its higher position in the socket 18. If the block 23 is raised, as hereinafter described, so that the spring 29 will project straight down directly over the center of the ball and the block is then left free, the tip 30 will rest on the ball, and the spring 29 will hold the block 23 in raised position with the arm 31 held out of contact with the strap 32. To insure this result the spring 29 is made stronger or stiffer than the spring If, now, the box is moved laterally on the support the ball will be revolved and the tip 30 will roll to one side as shown in Fig. 5 and the spring 29 will then be forced down by the spring 25 and the arm 31 will contact with the strap 32 and close the circuit. The alarm will thus be set into operation and it will indicate to all within hearing distance that the box has been tampered with. As the alarm and battery are contained in the box, which is locked, the arm will ring until the battery runs down or until the box is unlocked and opened.

There is preferably provided a post 3 1 extending from the block 17 to prevent the movable block from turning.

If, instead of the box being moved laterally on its support, it is lifted entirely there from the ball will fall slightly in its socket and it will no longer hold up the spring 29, and the movable block and they will fall as before; and the circuit will be closed in the same manner as previously described. Thus, whether the box is moved laterally or lifted off the support the alarm will be given.

The device so far described corresponds with my said copending application and no claim to the same, per 86, will be made herein.

I have provided a simple arrangement to defeat any attempt to break the circuit after it is once made by pressing upwardly on the ball. The spring 29 is self centering and if the box were entirely lifted it is conceivable that the ball might be pressed upwardly by hand, and if this were carefully done it might be possible to force upwardly the spring 29 and the movable block, thus breaking the contact, and arresting the alarm so long as the parts could be retained in this condition.

I have shown a resilient arm 35 secured to the block 17 by a screw 36 and its upper end has a hook 37 engaging the upper edge of the block 23 when the latter is in its lower position.

When the ball rolls or drops, as above described, and the block 23 moves down, the hook 37 will engage the top of the block 23 and it will then hold the block down against such upward pressure as might be exerted through the spring 29 so that it will be impossible to break the contact by manipulating the ball. The under side of the hook is preferably slanted as shown, so that the hook will serve the above purpose, but still it may be forced out when the block is forced upwardly by the setting device.

Preferably there is a secondary wall 38 spaced slightly from the front 3 of the box to provide a housing for the setting device 1 and for the lock. The lock 39 is slidable between the top flange 40 of the wall 38, and the plate ll'secured to the wall; so that the lock may be slid along to bring its barrel 12 into line with its aperture in the front 3.

There is a lever having an arm 1 1 and an arm 15 extending at right angles thereto, and this portion is held between the block 17 and the bottom 1 and is free to turn in the recess 46. The arm 14 extends under an arm 47 fixed on the movable block 23. The arm 414 extends to the opposite side of the box and through a slot e8 in the wall 38. After pass ing through the wall the lever extends at right angles at 49 in the space 50 between the wall 38 and the front 3. The end of the arm 49 has a hook 50 which engages one end of a spring 51, the other end of the spring hooking on a lug 52 of the wall 38.

Extending vertically in the space 50 and attached to the wall 38 are guides 53 which serve to guide the plunger 54. The lower end of the latter rests on the flattened portion 55 of the arm 19 and its upper end projects into the path of the box cover 6.

When the cover is in raised position the spring 51 holds up the arm 49 to the dotted line position in Figs. 1 and 3, and it also holds up the plunger 54 which rests on the latter, so that the top of the plunger projects above the top edge of the box and into the path of the cover.

In this condition of the parts the arm 44 is elevated sufliciently to engage the arm 47 and hold up. the block 23 so that the spring 29 is free to center over the ball. It will be understood that the arm 31 and strap 32 are out of contact.

When the cover is swung down for closing, it will come into contact with the top of the plunger and it will then operate to depress the latter. This will depress the lever arm 4.9 against the resistance of the spring 51, and the arm as will go down also. The downward movement of the latter will permit the block 23 to move downwardly under the influence of the spring 25 until it is supported by the spring 29 which is now centered over the ball and is held up thereby.

The cover may now be locked. The alarm is now set, and if the box is moved laterally or raised, the alarm will be set off in the manner previously described. As soon as the cover is unlocked, the spring 51 will force up the plunger and the cover, sufficiently to lift the block 23 and prevent the alarm from being set off.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A device of the class described, comprising a receptacle, an alarm device and means for initiating the operation thereof, comprising a ball mounted with facility of rising, falling and rolling, for the purpose set forth, a member having a definite reciprocating movement in relation to the ball, a flexible member having one end secured to the reciprocating member and having a free end cooperating with the ball whereby it may be flexed, said ball being adapted to hold up said flexible member, said alarm being operable upon downward movement of said flexible member, and a spring for holding said flexible member down.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a receptacle, an alarm device and means for initiating the operation thereof, comprising a ball movably mounted, for the purpose set forth, a reciprocating member,

a flexible member having one end connected.

with the reciprocating member and having a free end cooperating with the ball whereby it may be flexed, said ball being adapted to hold up the flexible and reciprocating members, said alarmbeing operable by a downward movement of. the reciprocating member and a spring for holding said reciprocating memberdown against upward pressure of the ball on the flexible member and adapted to permit the forcible raising of the reciprocating member. 7

3. A device of the class. described, comprising a receptacle, an alarm device and means for initiating its operation, comprising a ball movably mounted for the purpose set forth, a reciprocating member, a flexible member movable with said reciprocating member and having a free end cooperating with the ball, said ball being adapted to hold up the flexible and reciprocating members, said alarm being operable by the downward movement of the reciprocating member, and a latch member operating to hold down the reciprocating member.

4. A receptacle, having a cover, an alarm device, means for initiating the alarm device, means operated automatically by the closing of the cover for placing the initiating device in operative condition and adapted to throw said initiating means out of operative condition upon the opening of the cover.

5. A receptacle, having a cover, an alarm device, means for initiating the alarm device, including a movable'ball, a centering device cooperating therewith, and means operated by the cover for setting said centering device.

6. A receptacle, having a cover, an alarm device, means for initiating the alarm device, including a movable ball, a centering device cooperating therewith and including a movable block, a flexible member movable therewith and having a free end cooperating with the ball, and means operated by the cover for operating said block to set said centering device.

7. A receptacle, having a cover, an alarm device, means for initiating the alarm device, including a movable ball, a centering device cooperating therewith, and a lever operated by said cover for setting the centering device.

8. A receptacle, having a cover, an alarm device, means for initiating the alarm device, including a movable ball, a centering device cooperating therewith, a lever for setting the centering device and a plunger for operating the lever and arranged to be operated by the cover,

9. A receptacle, having a cover, said receptacle having an aperture, a block secured to the receptacle, a ball movably held by said block and projecting through the receptacle aperture, a movable block, a spring having one end connected with the movable block and having a free end cooperating with the ball, and means for lifting the movable block to center the spring over said ball, comprising a lever having one-arm held by and arranged to be operated by said cover.

10. A receptacle, having a cover, an alarm device, and means for initiating it, including a ball and a centering device, a partition arranged in spaced relation to a Wall of the 10 receptacle to form a pocket, a lever adapted to set the centering device and having an arm moving in said pocket, guide plates in said pocket and a plunger moving between said plates and acting on said lever arm, said plunger projecting into the path of the cover.

Signed at the city, county and State of New York, this 9th day of April, 1915.

CHARLES A. MAHLA.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

